4 Charged With Fraud Of $1 Million

March 27, 1992|By Matt O`Connor.

Federal authorities announced fraud charges Thursday against the former head of a South Side tutoring clinic for underprivileged children, a Des Plaines businessman, a Carol Stream insurance agent and a man who allegedly ripped off almost $35,000 in postage stamps in a credit-card scam.

The unrelated schemes defrauded financial institutions, insurance companies, government agencies and local businesses of more than a combined $1 million, U.S. Atty. Fred Foreman said.

Jeffrey Dupilka, inspector-in-charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago, said that stealing by using a pen isn`t ``any less serious than someone who is out on the street with a pistol stealing.``

In the single biggest alleged fraud, Jean A. Skelton, 45, the former director of the Chicago Clinic for Child Development, is accused of bilking four insurance companies of $442,500 by submitting hundreds of phony claims for medical services.

Skelton claimed 90 doctor visits for one child at the tutoring clinic, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. Lance Malina.

Richard McEllen, 38, of Des Plaines, was indicted in a $184,000 scheme to defraud three airlines in mid-1987. McEllen, who operated a freight-shipping business called National Transportation Broker Services, used $62,500 for personal expenses, including down payments for a sailboat and for a Lincoln Continental car, the indictment charged.

Stephen Deinzer, 33, a former insurance agent for American Family Cos. in Carol Stream, was accused of pocketing almost $35,000 in insurance premiums from customers.

Deinzer collected premiums on 63 policies but then never turned the money over to American Family, leaving him enriched and the customers uninsured, Assistant U.S. Atty. Diane Saltoun said.

In perhaps the most unusual case, Stanton J. Thompson, 29, was charged in a 15-count indictment with ordering large numbers of postage stamps from the Postal Service`s ``Stamps-by-Phone`` by using the credit card numbers of others. The scam resulted in a loss of $34,569.

Authorities are unaware what Thompson did with the stamps, and his whereabouts are unknown, officials said.